The global electric vehicle market landscape for Q2 2025 is now clear: Chinese brands' overseas market share surpassed 22%, with plug-in hybrid vehicles emerging as a new growth driver. Data shows that China continues to lead globally with a 63% share of global sales. BYD, with a 22% market share, remains the top-selling automaker, while plug-in hybrid vehicles boast a 74% global market share, demonstrating strong competitiveness.
Sales Share
Global EV sales in Q2 reached 11.8 million units, with China contributing over 7.43 million (63%). Pure electric vehicles accounted for 64.3% of these sales, and plug-in hybrids for 74%.
Domestic brands control nearly 90% of the Chinese market, while sales of foreign brands like Tesla declined by 13% year-on-year.
Regional Performance
Overseas Expansion: Chinese brands' overseas EV market share reached 15% (Q1-Q7 cumulative), with BYD's export share rising to 22% of total sales.
European Market: Chinese brands' share increased by 8 percentage points year-on-year, becoming the second largest growth driver.
BYD:
In Q2 2025, BYD maintained its leading position in the global EV market with a 22% share and sales exceeding 850,000 units, a 15% year-on-year increase.
The Song, Seal, and Dolphin models dominated the top 5 best-selling vehicles globally, with plug-in hybrids accounting for 58% of its sales.
Sales in Europe grew by 40% year-on-year, with Latin America emerging as a new growth market.
BYD's strength lies in its diverse product portfolio, encompassing both pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, particularly in the compact SUV and sedan segments. The BYD Song, Seal, and Dolphin were the best-selling models in Q2 2025.
Geely Holding Group ranked second in the global EV market in Q2 2025 with a 10% share, a 63% year-on-year increase.
Geely's combination of competitive pricing and advanced software features has resonated with Chinese consumers, enabling it to steadily increase its market share in a highly competitive market. Geely's Galaxy brand contributed 46% of the group's total electric vehicle sales. The Xingyue, Geely Panda Mini EV, and Galaxy E5, targeting the 100,000-150,000 yuan price segment, are the best-selling electric vehicle models.
Intelligent features have a penetration rate exceeding 60%, with Level 2 autonomous driving becoming standard equipment.
Tesla:
Tesla ranks third globally with an 8% market share, but its electric vehicle sales declined by 13% year-on-year. The decline was attributed to increased competition in the Chinese market, a shrinking market share in Europe, and the lack of new major models, making the brand more vulnerable to attacks from affordable Chinese competitors.
Its market share in China shrank to 5.8%, facing pressure from price wars waged by domestic brands.
Market Preference: Global plug-in hybrid sales grew by 33.9%, far exceeding pure electric vehicles (14.5%);
Consumer Preference: "Peace of mind regarding range" is a key advantage of plug-in hybrids in Chinese consumer purchasing decisions, accounting for 54.3% of their considerations.
Policy Window: The electric vehicle purchase tax exemption expires at the end of the year, potentially triggering a surge in sales in Q4;
Technological Iteration: Solid-state battery mass production is imminent, and the 800V high-voltage platform penetration rate is expected to exceed 30%.
The Chinese electric vehicle industry is transitioning from "scale leadership" to "technology leadership," with the goal that two out of every three electric vehicles globally in 2025 will be from the Chinese supply chain.
